


While You Were Sleeping

by RavenclawAngel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Avengers (2012), Unconscious Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:26:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawAngel/pseuds/RavenclawAngel
Summary: During the movie The Avengers might have been the first time Steve Rogers met his team, but not the first time they met him. 
This is their first thoughts of the Captain after he is pulled from the ice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, had this oneshot in my head and had to get it out. I will go back and finish my current unfinished story, I promise. For now though, please enjoy and tell me what you think.

                Captain Rogers was sleeping peacefully, blissfully oblivious to the dark haired man leaning against the wall glaring at him. If he had been awake Captain Rogers would have definitely not recognized him as anyone he had ever met before, but he would have thought that the man looked strangely familiar.

                The man in question definitely recognized Captain Rogers though. Tony Stark turns off the radio that is broadcasting some old baseball game.

                “How the hell are you alive right now?” Tony asks. He doesn’t get a reply, but didn’t expect one anyway so he continues, “It wasn’t enough for you to mess up a childhood you just had to have an encore and bother me as an adult too, didn’t you?”

                A voice in his head, that sounds suspiciously like Pepper scolds him for being both dramatic and unfair. Tony ignores it. He’s allowed to be as dramatic and unfair as he wants, just one of the many perks of being the richest and smartest guy around.

                He goes back to silently glowering at the man in the bed. The Captain looks so young, not bad for a 92 year old. Maybe when he wakes up he can get a job doing advertising for skin creams. _Make 90 look like the new 20._ Tony’s lip twitch in amusement at the thought. He doubts Captain Rogers would think it was funny. From all the stories he remembers the Captain didn’t have much of a sense of humor, and his personality began and ended with punching Hydra goons.

                With a noticeable lack of Hydra in the 21st century, Tony briefly wonders what Captain Rogers will do with himself when he wakes up. Probably rejoin the army, assuming he isn’t rejected on the technicality of being older than dirt. If not he’ll always have a place in Shield. He would probably like that; being a good little soldier, punching whoever Shield told him was the 21st century equivalent to Hydra.

                  It would be a good life for him, and more importantly a life far away from Tony Stark. As an independent consultant Tony rarely had to visit Shield himself. Mostly people came to him. On the rare occasions he did though, he always went straight for the room with the newest weapons that needed to be looked at or computer files that needed to be decoded. Things that required more brains and less super enhanced brawns. He doubted his path would ever cross with Captain Rogers.

                With that comforting thought Tony flips the baseball game back on. The Dodgers are winning. Tony saunters out of the room, texting Happy to meet him out front on the way. He doesn’t spare another glance at the man on the bed. The days of him even thinking about Captain America are in the past, and if Tony has his way, that’s exactly where they will remain.

 

~*~*~*~

 

                The next time the door opens, not one but two people come strolling in.  

                “Come on Nat, don’t pretend this isn’t awesome,” Clint says.

                “Awesome? No. Interesting that he survived so long in the ice? Yes.” Natasha says coolly. Clint rolls his eyes, “You’re no fun.”

                “Hey, I helped you get past security so you could see him didn’t I?”

                “Yes you did and you are wonderful.”

                Clint casts an eager eye over the unconscious man in the bed. The stories Barney had told about him growing up ring in his head and memories of two boys whispering stories under the covers drift past his eyes.

                Natasha smiles slightly at the nostalgic look on Clint’s face before turning to also survey the Captain. He has a boyish face, despite the chiseled jawline. Perhaps it was the fact that he was asleep, and everyone looks more innocent when they are asleep, but Natasha couldn’t see the heroic Hydra killer Clint had described. He looked more like a college kid, sleeping in late and missing classes.

                An old advertisement for war bonds fills the silence, until Natasha cuts it off mid-jingle with a click.

                “Do you think he’ll work for Shield when he wakes up?” Clint asks thoughtfully.

                “You wish.”

                “What’s that supposed to mean? He’s Captain America, Hydra hunter extraordinaire. Why wouldn’t Shield want him?” Clint scoffs.

                “Because Shield is a spy agency,” She says flicking him in the back of the head, “the last thing we need is a man running around dressed as our flag. He’s not very subtle.”

                “Fine, good point spoilsport. Army then?”

                “It’s not the 1940s anymore Clint. I don’t know if the army would be a good fit for him anymore either.” Natasha shrugs. She looks closer at the sleeping man and still can’t bring herself to see anything deadly or particularly dangerous about him. Sure, the muscles were impressive, but she had been around long enough to know that muscles didn’t mean much when the opponent that much more skilled.

                “Hey, maybe he can be a history professor,” Clint says excitedly.

                Natasha raises as eyebrow, “You’re going to have to explain your reasoning on that one.”

                “The man fought in World War Two, who better to teach a class on the subject then him.” Clint says.

                “Sure Clint, he can be a history professor.” Natasha sighs.

                “No seriously, how cool would that be? His whole curriculum would be him telling stories of his glory days. He would be the most popular teacher by far.” Clint says warming up to his theory. Natasha nods along, withholding an eye roll, as they stroll out as easily as they came in.

                Neither look back at the Captain. Maybe he would rejoin the army or maybe he really would become the coolest history professor ever, but the odds of ever crossing paths with him again were slim. He wasn’t a shield agent, and they doubted he ever would be one.  

 

~*~*~*~

 

                He shouldn’t be here. He knows he shouldn’t be here, but when an old college friend had contacted him about new research regarding Gamma radiation that could change everything about his ‘condition’ he was on a plane back to the US before he could stop and really think things through.

                The research had been a bust, unfortunately, but he had learned something as he scanned the newspaper headlines. _Captain America Returns Home at Last._ When he read that something deep in his gut clenched. He knows he should leave it alone, but he also knows that he won’t. Can’t.

                He has a few contacts left in the government and calls in a few favors. He just wants to know where the Captain is being buried. The news didn’t say. The obvious choice would be Arlington, but he knows Captain Rogers was raised in New York City and had requested should anything happen to him that his remains be sent home to rest with his family.

                He’s stunned when he hangs up the phone with his contact. Captain Rogers isn’t being buried anywhere, because Captain Rogers isn’t dead yet. With that knowledge Bruce called in another favor.

                Less than a day later Bruce stands at the bedside of Captain Rogers. He’s risked everything to come here. To see the world’s only super soldier. The other side of the coin to his own failed attempt at the serum. Captain Rogers looks exactly how Bruce knew he would. He has studied Captain Rogers’ file countless times, both before and after the accident.

                 Seeing him face to face now was everything Bruce had hoped, and was afraid of. He was perfect. Bruce was glad that the Captain was still asleep, he didn’t know if he would have had the courage to approach the man if he had been awake. An old song from the 40s played on the radio and mingled pleasantly with the Captain’s quiet breaths. It was very peaceful.

_The perfect man and the perfect beast just enjoying a quiet afternoon together._ Bruce smiles wryly at the thought. Captain Rogers stirs in his sleep and Bruce tenses. What if he wakes up? The last thing Bruce wants to do was be the first one to welcome Captain America to the 21 st century.

                Bruce hastily stands up. He’s stayed here long enough. With one more sad smile directed at the Captain Bruce hurries out hands stuffed deep into his pockets. He doubts he’ll ever see the man again. The Hulk didn’t belong anywhere near Captain America.

 

~*~*~*~

 

                There are only a few Midgardians known on Asgard. Most of them are ancient Norse warriors fortunate enough to have fought alongside Thor during his wild younger days. However there are two more modern Midgardians who have gained some amount of notoriety. The first being Joseph Schmidt, the man who rediscovered the Tesseract after so many centuries and became the first Midgardian to come close to wielding its full power successfully. The second is Captain Rogers, the man who stopped him. On Asgard there is a divide between those more impressed by Schmidt and those more impressed by Rogers. Thor falls into the latter category.   

                It’s warm day in Asgard and Thor has just come back from training with Sif when he is summoned by Heimdall.

                “Greetings Heimdall.” Thor says cheerfully. Usually when Heimdall summons him it is because he has an update about Jane Foster’s life. Heimdall bows his head in acknowledgement to Thor, but doesn’t turn his gaze away from where he is staring out into the distance.

                “How does Lady Jane fair today?” Thor asks.

                “She fairs fine. She is not the reason I have called you here.” Heimdall says. Thor frowns.

                “Is something wrong? Why have you called me here?”

                “I have seen something that might interest you. They found Captain Rogers.”

                “That is most excellent. I hope they give him a hero’s funeral like he deserves.” Thor says.

                Heimdall’s lips twitch. “Apologies, I was not clear. They found Captain Rogers alive.”

                “That is most fortuitous. I will go to him at once. I always regretted not meeting him before.” Thor says enthusiastically.

                “I thought you might.” Heimdall says opening a portal. Thor arrives in a small room. The Captain is asleep on the bed. Despite his booming tendencies Thor is perfectly capable of being silent when necessary. He also understands the importance of sleep to a weary warrior. Thus he quietly takes a seat in the little chair next to the bed. He surveys the plain white walls and shakes his head. Where were the accolades and gifts from admirers? Surely a warrior such as the Captain had plenty of those. Outside the room he could hear the quiet murmuring of people going about their normal day. Where was the celebration welcoming the hero home? Perhaps they were saving the festivities for when the Captain awakened. Surely, they were not going to let this momentous occasion pass unrecognized. Midgard had many strange customs, but he remembered from his time in the olden days that they were very familiar with the concept of ‘party.’

                A radio in the corner is playing the news, although Thor notes that it is extremely out of date. Even he knows the war ended decades ago. The Captain remains oblivious to the noise and lack of festivities. Thor thinks back to when he first heard of Captain Rogers. There was great debate as to whether Asgard should become involved with the war once Schmidt had discovered the Tesseract. Thor was strongly in favor, especially after listening to Heimdall describe the weapons he was building. Odin had forbidden it. Forbidden anyone to even visit Midgard until the war was over.

                Thor had been bitterly disappointed and had met with Heimdall every day to discuss Hydra’s progress. Even now frustration swirled in the pit of his stomach when he thought about the helplessness he felt after hearing every atrocity Hydra had wrought with the Asgardian weapon. And just when things had really seemed hopeless, when Thor was resigning himself to never visiting the lush greens of Midgard again Captain Rogers rose to take on Hydra. Tales of his adventures and heroism had quickly spread and soon Thor wasn’t the only one clamoring for updates from Heimdall.

                The day the Tesseract disappeared into the ocean had been one of celebration and sorrow for Asgard. Gone was Schmidt and the power for him to dominate the world, and gone was the Captain who had made the ultimate sacrifice for his people. Thor had held a toast for Captain Rogers that night and they had spent the night drinking and reveling in his name.

                To see him here and now, alive, brought a smile to his lips and a warm contented feeling in his chest. A hero returning home always did. Seeing that the Captain clearly had no plans of waking today Thor stands.

                “Rest well Captain, and perhaps you and I will cross paths again someday. Heimdall.” Thor says, and just as quickly as he came, Thor disappears.

 

~*~*~*~

 

                Fury enters the Captain’s empty room. A gaping hole in the wall where Roger’s made his dramatic escape stands as a testament to his super human strength and grit. Over the past few weeks, as they waited for the Captain to wake up Fury had kept a close eye on the security surrounding the room. Fury was no fool, he knew every person who entered the Captain’s room, from authorized doctors to the wayward shield personnel to the Thunder God himself. He hoped that they were all satisfied with what they saw in the unconscious man, Fury had a feeling they would be seeing him again very soon.


End file.
